In the automotive industry, header connectors are used for distributing power and/or data in a vehicle. Typically, header connectors comprise multiple interface portions. Each interface portion defines a receptacle to receive a portion of a counterpart connector. The number of pins, the size of the pins and the number of interface portions are flexible to comply with respective requirements. For example, for different applications or type of vehicles a different number of interface portions may be required. In the prior art it is known to produce header connectors in a modular way. That is, multiple interface portions are molded and subsequently assembled to a frame that is molded separately. Typical ways of assembling an interface portion to the frame is by means of gluing, ultrasonic welding and/or laser welding. Each of these methods comes with their advantages and disadvantages. Gluing an interface portion to the frame to form a header connector has as disadvantage that additional material with adhesive properties is mandatory. Additional equipment is needed to place glue at predefined regions of the interface portion and the frame.
Ultrasonic welding requires dedicated equipment (sonotrode) for generating ultrasonic vibrations.
Laser welding requires dedicated thermoplastic material with laser transparent properties in order to assemble the frame to the interface portion.
Typically, above methods for assembling are performed after the interface portion and the frame are molded. Before assembly, the interface portion and the frame need to be stored and moved to the assembly equipment.
FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show respectively six interface portions A, a frame B with six recesses for receiving said interface portions A and a header connector C according to the prior art. In alternative embodiments, any numbers of interface portions with corresponding recesses are possible. For example, one, two, three, four or five interface portions with the same respective number of corresponding recesses are possible.
In the prior art it is known to injection mold multiple interface portions A and subsequently store them. The frame B is injection molded separately and stored before being assembled to the interface portions A.
FIG. 1c shows the header connector C comprising the interface portions A and the frame B in an assembled state.
Such a header connector C and method for producing a header connector C are assembled by means of gluing, ultrasonic welding and/or laser welding. Drawback of such techniques is that it requires adhesive material and/or additional special equipment and/or it limits the type of material for the frame and interface portions to have it suitable to be welded.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.